CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Kanawha County murder case that spanned more than four years ended last Thursday with the conviction of Michael Smith for second-degree murder in the death of Cheyenne Johnson.
Smith was first charged in 2021, but several factors delayed the trial until last week. Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Debra Rusnak said the long process reflects the purpose of her office.
“This case is the very essence of why we do what we do. Like so many other cases of this magnitude, it’s been a long and winding road,” Rusnak said.
Smith’s co-defendant, Virginia Smith, pleaded guilty in 2021 to first-degree murder and two related charges after Johnson’s body was discovered in a well on her property near Sissonville. The investigation stretched across multiple jurisdictions, involving the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, and the Jackson County Bureau of Investigations, after Johnson was first reported missing from Jackson County.
“You look at the team that’s assembled; there’s a lot of other people that’s been involved in this that helped out,” said Kanawha County Sheriff Joey Crawford. “When you work together to do the right thing and bring justice to the family and the victim, this is the result.”
Rusnak praised the collaborative work of law enforcement and outlined the potential penalties Smith faces. His second-degree murder conviction carries 10 to 40 years in prison, with four additional convictions adding shorter sentences.
“Because of the work of these and many other individuals, it is unlikely that Michael Smith will ever walk a free man again, and for that I am grateful,” Rusnak said.
However, the case isn’t fully over. Rusnak confirmed her office plans to pursue enhanced penalties under the state’s recidivist law, citing Smith’s criminal history.
“My office is preparing to file recidivist paperwork on Mr. Smith,” she said. “He will be subject to the recidivist act on one of those charges that we intend to enhance.”
An enhanced conviction could increase Smith’s sentence to 15 years to life. Although the jury downgraded his original first-degree murder charge, Rusnak said the outcome still delivers justice.
“I believe the jury heard the facts. I think the jury did its job, and we got an outcome that will allow us a sentence that will be acceptable for us,” she said.
Kanawha County Circuit Judge Kenneth Ballard will issue Smith’s sentence.
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